Few pop artists have been as influential as Lana Del Rey has been for the past decade. Her retro-laced music and spacey vocals have become the blueprint for countless up-and-coming singer/songwriters since Del Rey made her debut in 2012.
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She has many hits, but do you know her lesser-known offerings? If not, find five of Del Rey’s most underrated tracks, below.
[RELATED: 5 Things to Know About Lana Del Rey]
1. “This Is What Makes Us Girls”
Taken from the “Paradise Edition” of Del Rey’s Born to Die album, “This Is What Makes Us Girls” speaks to the singer/songwriter’s troubled youth. Sneakin’ out, lookin’ for a taste of real life / Drinkin’ in the small town firelight, she sings. The song is as youthful and blithe as the moments she sings about in the lyrics. It’s a welcomed dose of nostalgia for those willful teen years.
Sweet sixteen, and we had arrived
Walkin’ down the streets as they whistle, “Hi, hi!”
Stealin’ police cars with the senior guys
Teachers said we’d never make it out alive
2. “Shades of Cool”
“Shades of Cool” can act as a thesis statement for Del Rey’s unique musical style. It’s retro. It’s lush. It’s coy. The basic ingredients behind a strong Del Rey offering. It has a Bond-esque feel to it, which is perfect for Del Rey’s femme fatale aesthetic.
My baby lives in shades of cool
Cold heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women too
I’m one of many, Bonnie’s blue
And when he calls, he calls for me and not for you
He prays for love, he prays for peace, and maybe someone new
3. “Margaret” (feat. Bleachers)
Del Rey tapped Bleachers (aka producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff) for “Margaret” from her album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. The pair sing the lyrics in a blissful haze while a swell of strings rushes in the background.
Word to all my friends
With their rеd flags, their white knights
Their black еyes and their blue lies
If you’re askin’ yourself, “How do you know?”
Then that’s your answer, the answer is “No”
You gotta run, gotta run, run, run, run like your head’s on fire
Run away like your head is on fire
4. “Lost at Sea”
Del Rey joined forces with her dad, Rob Grant, for “Lost at Sea” back in June 2023. Del Rey takes on lead vocals despite it being her father’s debut solo album. Nevertheless, there is a marked blood harmony going on. Grant’s musicality melds perfectly with Del Rey’s.
Once you told me
Look for the north star, then you’ll see
Heavenly, I hear
Found my way to the beach
And there were waves over me
I was lost at sea
‘Til you found me, ’til you found me
5. “Carmen”
“Carmen” is a character-driven piece about a protagonist of the same name who suffers from substance abuse – much like Del Rey did when she was a teenager. “‘Carmen’ is a song I can’t say too much about because it’s so close to my heart,” Del Rey once explained of the track. “It’s the song on the record I relate to most closely.”
The boys, the girls
They all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies
Bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God
Her mind’s like a diamond
(Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
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